Ship,in particular for the transportation of containers



March 10, 1970 E. BERNHARD 3,4995409 SHIP, IN PARTICULAR FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF CONTAINERS Filed April 8, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR E ENST BEIZNHARD PM, T A aw 3,499,499 Patented Mar. 10, 1970 United States Patent Ofiice 3,499,409 SHIP, IN PARTICULAR FOR THE TRANS- PORTATION OF CONTAINERS Ernst Bernhard, Goteborg, Sweden, assignor to AB Internavia, Goteborg, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Apr. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 719,546 Claims priority application Sweden, Apr. 10, 1967, 4,939/ 67 Int. Cl. B63b 1/10, 25/18 US. Cl. 114-72 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention has relation to a ship preferably but not exclusively for the transportation of load containers. The ship is provided with two essentially parallel pontoons and thus it is of so called catamaran-type.

The main feature of the invention is to be seen therein that the ship is provided with a deck provided at one end (at the stern) with two supports for being movably supported by the pontoons and having at the opposite end (the stem) an arm, extending longitudinally of the ship, carried by a cross beam, the latter at its ends being movably carried on supports by the two pontoons. Due to this very special support for the deck and the cross beam, the pontoons are free to move independently of each other in the sea and the cross beam may in a vertical plane be swung about the carrying arm on the deck. As a result hereof, the deck will roll only to a very small extent at hard sea.

Each pontoon contains preferably a propulsion device, such as a motor driving a propeller. Further, the pontoons also contains fuel, trim, and ballast tanks. The cross beam is provided with a navigation cabin and cabins for the staff and further with life boats and life rafts and other devices common on ships.

The invention will now be elucidated with reference to the accompanying diagrammatical drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the ship,

FIG. 2 a side view of the ship,

FIG. 3 an end elevation of the ship, and

FIG. 4 shows a vertical section through the ship when being loaded at a quay.

The ship comprises two essentially parallel pontoons 1 which are situated at some distance from each other in lateral direction. They are provided with a propulsion machinery 2 for each their propeller. The pontoons 1 are also provided with fuel, trimming and ballast tanks (not shown). At the stem the pontoons 1 are provided with vertically extending stands 3 serving as stays for a cross beam 4, the latter being at the ends provided with recesses 5 opening downwards, the stand-s 3 engaging movably said recesses 5. The recesses are shaped in such a way that the cross beam 4 is movable in relation to the pontoons 1. The cross beam 4 houses a navigation cabin or pilot house and cabins for the staff and an arm 6 engages the same, said arm 6 attached on a deck 7 situated behind the cross beam and adapted for taking up load containers 8 (see FIG. 4). The deck 7 is carried at the fore end in movable way by means of the cross beam 4. The aft end of the deck 7 is carried by two stands 9 which with their lower end from above engage recesses 10 opening up upwards in the pontoon 1 in question such that the deck is movable in relation to the pontoons.

As indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the deck 7 may also at the fore end be provided with two stands 11 engaging movably in the pontoons 1.

The stands 3, 9 are at their free ends shaped with a spherical portion engaging in a corresponding bowlshaped portion at the inner end of the notch 5, v10 in question so as to ensure the desired movability.

Many separate decks 7 may belong to the ship, these decks being arranged on supports 12 (FIG. 4) in different harbours 13 where the decks are loaded and unloaded by hoisting mechanisms 14. The ship with the two pontoons 1 and the cross beam 4 is moved in under a deck 7 either being empty or loaded with load containers 8. The two pontoons 1 are pumped dried until the deck has been lifted from its supports 12 and the ship sails thereupon to the next harbour where deck number two is ready for being transported empty or loaded. In the second harbour the same course of events is carried out as in the first harbour and the ship sails with deck number two as soon as deck number one has been deposited on suitable supports and deck number two has been lifted by the ship as indicated.

The invention has been described in the aforegoing for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims and many modifications are pos si-ble within the scope of the inventive idea. Thus, the fore stands 3 may be attached at the lower side of the cross beam 4 and movably engage recesses opening up upwards in the pontoons 1. The aft stands 9 may be attached to the pontoons 1 and movably engage recesses opening up downwards in the lower side of the deck 7. The stays may be adjustable, thus being attached movably upwards and downwards for lifting and lowering the deck to be loaded on the ship or to be deposited on supports in a harbour. The stands 3 and 9 may for the same purpose comprise several sections telescopically engaging each other. The cross beam 4 may be arranged at the stem instead of being arranged at the stem. The deck 7 could of course be shaped with passenger cabins instead of container holdings.

What I claim is:

1. A cargo ship comprising a pair of parallel pontoons, a crossbeam removably and flexibly attached to a first end of said pontoon-s, and a deck removably and flexibly attached to said crossbeam and to a second end of said pontoons wherein the means for removably and flexibly attaching the pontoons, crossbeam, and deck comprise extending stays in one of the members received in recesses contained in the attached member.

2. The ship of claim v1 wherein the pontoons carry extending stays which are received in recesses in said cross beam.

3. The ship of claim 1 further comprising trim and ballast tanks on said pontoons adapted to lower and lift the pontoon-s and thereby the ship in and out of the water, thereby facilitating loading and unloading of the deck.

4. The ship of claim 1 wherein the extending stays are adjustable in length.

5. The ship of claim 2 wherein the extending stays are adjustable in length.

6. The ship of claim 1 further comprising removably 3 4 and flexibly attaching the deck to the pontoons at the 3,294,051 12/1966 Khelstovsky 114-0.5 first end of said pontoons. 3,273,528 9/1966 Kiefer 11461' References Cited TRYGVE M. BLIX, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 Us. CL XIR. 942,687 12/1909 White 114-435 X 114 61 3,086,489 4/1963 Lehmann 1l472 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,499,409 Dated March 10, 1970 Invent0r( ERNST BERNHARD It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, Claim 1, line 57, the word "in" should read on JUL 281970 name M. Fl I mm: x. 80mm, JR. Attesflng Offiect C miseioner at M;

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